About
History
Since the debut performance in 1982, the Kansas City Chorale has provided audiences with a high caliber of choral artistry, performing a diverse repertoire of new and traditional music. The choir has garnered international recognition for artistic merit, having been praised for its refined sound, phrasing and flawless intonation.
As a cornerstone of the Kansas City performing arts community, the Chorale creates concert programs and recordings that educate, engage, provoke, and inspire listeners. The Chorale’s ongoing outreach efforts facilitate the development of local talent, while providing students and their instructors with the opportunity to learn from world-class vocalists.
Beyond the traditional season of local concerts, the Chorale frequently performs regionally and around the world. In 2009, the Kansas City and Phoenix Chorales performed at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Highlights from the a cappella concert included “Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae” by Jaakko Mantyjarvi and “Drei Geistliche Gesänge” by 19th-century composer Josef Rheinberger.
The Kansas City Chorale has an award-winning collection of albums with Chandos Records, Naxos Records, Bright Shiny Things, Nimbus Records, and 2Foals Records. The Chorale's album Life and Breath: Choral Works of René Clausen, won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical. Additionally, SoundMirror senior producer Blanton Alspaugh won the GRAMMY® Award for Producer of the Year, Classical, for Life and Breath and Artifacts: The Music of Michael McGlynn.
Between 2007-2015, the Kansas City Chorale joined with the Phoenix Chorale for three albums including Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works, which received 2 GRAMMY® nominations, Grechaninov: Passion Week, which won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Engineered Classical Album along with 5 nominations, and Rachmaninoff: All Night Vigil, which won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance along with 3 nominations. To date, the Chorale's albums have received 17 GRAMMY® nominations, winning 6.